The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I recently acquired a tooled-leather VE-80X Credenza that has much water damage (loose veneer etc.). Considering the amount of repair that will be required to restore it, I began looking for a compatible replacement cabinet. I located a nice early VV-80 (with center turntable) on Facebook Marketplace that is reasonably priced. Question: how much of the cabinet (doors, lid, feet, etc.) are interchangeable? Could I use the VV-80 as a parts machine, and, if so, would restoring the VE-80X tooled-leather machine be worth (historically and economically) more valuable than the VV-80? Thanks, Roy

80?? Do you mean 8-30?

Correct; should be VV8-30 and VE8-30. Sorry for the confusion.

In general, yes. But there are variations in the run on those Credenzas and you can get into differences in the actual horn size, motorboard size and so forth. But from the one's I've worked on and swapped parts around on the differences are usually just frustrating but you can make it work. Often times too, the hole for the crank is partly drilled on the electric machines so that does sold the problem if you need to put a spring motor in a cabinet that started out with an electric one. Swapping lids around doesn't always work as they are staring you in the face, but it doesn't sound like that is your issue. Good luck project! Victor made a lot of those machines so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the parts if what you have actually won't work.

I know from experience that many Credenza and 8-30 cabinet parts are not directly interchangeable. I would think that 8-30 parts would be swappable but I can't say for sure.

I believe that if you can find the proper donor machine, it would be well worth the investment to exchange the parts that you need. The TLP 8-30s are prized by collectors and are worth considerably more than a standard 8-30. With that said, you are best off finding a late production donor machine since those parts are more likely to match. Victor made a large number of Credenzas and 8-30s, so there are a lot of examples still around. Remember too that this model was available in both mahogany and walnut, so you should make sure the wood matches. Also, the finish may be different on the TLP cabinets. I have seen examples that are noticeably lighter in color than the standard cabinets and do not seem to have the shaded finish of the standard cabinets. All these problems are surmountable, and the result can be very rewarding.